The Story of England by Robert Manning of Brunne, A.D. 1338. Edited from mss. at Lambeth Palace and the Inner Temple, by Frederick J. Furnivall |
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Exe pungna inter Brytones & Romanos qui de
nocte eos precesserunt. |
 | The Story of England |  |
Exe pungna inter Brytones & Romanos qui de nocte eos precesserunt.
Als þey were busched redy to byker,Come Arthures men, wend haue be siker;
Natheles, ȝit hadde þey doute,
Þer-fore þey dide sondre þer route:
Sire Borel & Erl Cadore,
Wyþ þer folk riden byfore;
Sire Beduer & þe Erl Richer,
Þyse were þe prisons ner;
Wyþ hem come men fif hundred,
Þat fro þe prisons were nought sundred.
On Borel & Cador þat formest went,
Þe Romayns a-side on hem glent,
& ffelonly on þem gan strike,
& þey defended hem doughtilyke.
457
Þat þer enemis þer weyes sperde,
& wyþ þer felawes faste gon fight,—
Armed men wiþ swerdes bryght;—
Þey dide þer prisons þer wyþstande,
Þe mene men toke þem on hande,
In siker stede wiþ hem to byde
Til more sykernesse myghte bityde.
Wiþ haste ilk man tok his stede
To helpe þer felawes in þer nede;
Þenne by-gonne Bretons to bolden,
& here partie wel vp holden.
Þe Romayns ronne a-mong þe Bretons
To seke after þer prisons;
Þe Bretons to slo, tente þey nought,
But hider & þyder þe prisons sought;
& while þey ȝede aboute to seke,
Þey ne spedde nought worþ a leke,
ffor mykel of þer folk þey les
Als þey soughten in þe pres.
Þe Bretons hollyk to-gyder riden,
At þeir assautes to-gydere byden,
To-gyder wente, to-gydere camen,
In alle stedes were þey samen;
ffor þey to-gydere so wel held,
Þey slowe þe Romay[n]s doun in feld;
In foures routes þe Bretons hem set,
Þe sykerer wiþ þe Romayns þey met;
Sire Cador wyþ þe Cornewaleys,
Sire Beduer wyþ his Herupeys,
458
Ilkon hadde þer bataille ser.
Þe Romayns al aboute wond;
ffaste þey lore, & nought ne fond.
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